Move to New Zealand or not?

We have been thinking about making the move to New Zealand for many years, but one thing and another has got in the way.
We are both really struggling to find work in the UK. OH has some
freelance design/web design work, but nothing regular, and I am a
qualified primary teacher now, but just finished a temporary contract
and have nothing lined up for the immediate future, although I am
waiitng to hear from 16 schools! There is huge competition around here
for teaching jobs, my son's school had over 200 applicants for one job!

As we have a mortgage, and no savings, it is unlikely we can maintain
our house if we have to go onto Jobseekers allowance. So, we are
thinking of selling the house, and making the move to NZ. We have
discussed selling the house and renting one in the UK, but it would mean
a change of location (and teaching jobs seem in short supply
everywhere) and would also mean using our equity which would provide our
only chance of financing such a big move.

I really don't want to sell the house, and pay rent to someone else in the UK when I don't have a job, as that would seem rather pointless, but is moving to the other side of the world too extreme?

We have been thinking about making the move to New Zealand for many years, but one thing and another has got in the way.
We are both really struggling to find work in the UK. OH has some
freelance design/web design work, but nothing regular, and I am a
qualified primary teacher now, but just finished a temporary contract
and have nothing lined up for the immediate future, although I am
waiitng to hear from 16 schools! There is huge competition around here
for teaching jobs, my son's school had over 200 applicants for one job!

As we have a mortgage, and no savings, it is unlikely we can maintain
our house if we have to go onto Jobseekers allowance. So, we are
thinking of selling the house, and making the move to NZ. We have
discussed selling the house and renting one in the UK, but it would mean
a change of location (and teaching jobs seem in short supply
everywhere) and would also mean using our equity which would provide our
only chance of financing such a big move.

I really don't want to sell the house, and pay rent to someone else in the UK when I don't have a job, as that would seem rather pointless, but is moving to the other side of the world too extreme?

I know a pair of teachers who sold up and moved to NZ some years ago, both having got teaching jobs out there and having wanted to go for several years beforehand. The next year they were back, they loved NZ but found various aspects of their teaching jobs were not to their liking.
About 15 years ago we got jobs in a school in Kenya having rented our house out in England. Our initial contract was two years, our eldest son would have been year 10 at the end of that time so we expected to be there for three years at the end of which time we anticipated moving onto another international school somewhere. Again we were back within a year.
For most people NZ is just too far for a look-see so it's a big risk you're taking. I'd just advise not to burn your boats if you do decide to go for it. Your OH's job sounds like it will be little different there to here, possibly worse as the chances for face-to-face meetings will be less, if contacts are made online it doesn't matter where you are.

NZdreamer said:

I really don't want to sell the house, and pay rent to someone else in the UK when I don't have a job, as that would seem rather pointless,

Hi
If I wasn't scared of flying I would go in a heartbeat. I have two relatives who have emigrated to New Zealand, one is actually a teacher who managed to get a job over there and is now HOD in his subject. Both relatives have kids and I don't think they would ever consider moving back to the UK as they prefer it in NZ and say they find the quality of life better. I suppose it depends what you are looking for.
I completely understand your concerns in terms of jobs in the UK. I have been doing temporary work for just under two years as I cannot get a permanent job. Have been applying for all this time but no-one will give me a chance which is really frustrating as I studied so hard to get my hons degree and PGCE and am a bloody hard worker. All I really want is a decent job so I can get a little place of my own.
I don't think it is too extreme if you think it will help you achieve what you really want.
Lil

I really don't want to sell the house, and pay rent to someone else in the UK when I don't have a job, as that would seem rather pointless,

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By the sounds of it, that's what would be happening in NZ anyway?

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It's not renting which is bothering me, it would be renting in the UK with no job knowing our chance to go to NZ was becoming less likely with each rent payment.
OH would probably be able to carry on what he is doing now, through internet contacts.

My friend's parents moved to New Zealand about five years ago, they love it out there and would never move back to the UK. Her Mum is a teacher and got a job before they moved over there via a recruitment fair in the UK (she teaches Chemistry which was a shortage subject). When they moved they applied for permanent residency visas and applications were on a points-based system (looking at age, qualifications/ skills etc.) however the application was very expensive (I believe just the medical was &pound;800 per person).

You will survive anywhere you move to, if you want to.
What you need to consider is how you will cope with no family around you.
Believe me, it is not always easy. I speak from experience and I have been gone from the UK over 20 years.
There is noone to just moan to, nowhere to nip in for a coffee, noone to help you when you are up s.hit creek without a paddle, noone to help you with day to day things. Noone to invite to your birthday party, your kids miss their relatives, you will ALWAYS be reminded that you are a "foreigner", even though you speak the lingo (I am bilingual and still get the comments two decades on, meant in jest, but they can annoy). etc.
Of course, you will make friends. But family will be missing.
And family are on skype and in my case only an hour flight away. But it is not the same.
You will have many lonely times.
You need to be strong to get through them.
If you can - life is great abroad

firstly if you rent and go unemplyed you can ask the dole to help pay your rent, although they will take your savings into account if theknow you have it.
If your considering moving..and i did for retriruement, then ask in the over seas forum of this site and then find an 'overseas forum' of those who have emigrated on the web.there are plenty of them and they wil gladly direct you as to pros and cons of the move.
At the moment australia is recruiting certain trades and if your prepared to move out of the city you will stand more chance of recruitment.
I would sugest, as yu probabaly have, look at what is being sought by the NZ goverment ...certainlyy it s a young land and if i wasnt so old i would be gone as i see no real future for the uk other than being a vassal of the EU and basically becomight the 3rd rate nation in world standing it is becoming.
I would try to presuade you to either talk to others in your prediciment and think hard......but whatever you do when you make the decision try to stay firm and remember the move is both for yourself andf your family.
This country wil get no easier in the near future and jobs will get harder to find...and with the huge amount of non english arriving there wil be little prospect of that changing.no matter what the political masters mightry to convince you otherwise.

Hi
I have been researching this potential move for ages, (nearly 5 years!)and have found a few very good forums about moving to NZ, so I feel quite informed as anyone can be from this sode of the world!
Teachers, and particularly Early Years teachers are on the current immediate skills shortage list, so I do think it is worth a try.
I really am worried about the future here for our children, jobs being so scarce, it is not financially viable for us to stay where we are.
My parents actually nearly emigrated to NZ when I was about 10, but only did not go through with it as my Dad had a motorcycle accident. My Dad reckons we should go for it, and at the moment it does seem as though there is nothing to lose by trying. We'd soon use up our equity renting in the UK if we did not have work, as I know we would not be entitled to claim anything from benefits.
Anyway, enough waffle, thank you all for your input! It is nice to hear a range of opinions.

Whilst still owning your house and qualifying for JSA Income BASED (savings under &pound;8k), you can get help with the mortgage interest.
If you sell and rent in the UK and apply for JSA Income Based 9

If you sell and rent in the UK and apply for JSA Income Based, which is means-tested, you will be denied the benefit if you have more than &pound;8k and will be required to live on the money until it reduces below &pound;8k.
The only JSA you can get irrespective of any savings is JSA Contributory which is a personal allowance only available for the claimant and based on having paid enough NI in previous tax years. It's just over &pound;65 per week for those aged 25 and over and is paid for 26 weeks , with a possible entitlement to another 26 weeks JSA in the next calendar year if there is still an eligible NI record in the 2 previous tax years that they look at.
I think you need to secure a teaching job in NZ before upping sticks. If successful, you may wish to rent out your UK house for a year or so for 2 reasons.
1) you may wish to return to the UK.
2) UK house prices may be higher in a few years. You will want to rent in NZ at first and may not need your house equity for another house deposit for a while. If you sell first and transfer the money to NZ dollars, you may regret it if you then have to pay commission/currency transfer again if you return to the UK.
I have a relative in NZ who has thought about returning to the UK on occasion but has not done so because he'd be disadvantaged in the house market after years of living in NZ. His salary is also considerably lower than he'd get over here so he hasn't got significant savings.
Also, NZ seemes to have gone down the route of abandoning workplace pension schemes. My relative has had his supreannuation payments returned to him and has paid a chunk of his mortgage and left a sum for investing at some point. When he retires, his income will be dependent on downsizing his housing and hoping thta his investments pay off.